Scottish Fire and Rescue Authorities (SFRAs)
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Authorities (SFRAs) are responsible for governing Scotland Fire and Rescue Services. Each authority is represented by a Fire Board, constituted by elected members from the local authorities within the region. The Board provides governance and prescribes how the SFRS achieves its primary functions, which include:
- Establishing the Fire and Rescue Service's local strategic direction and aims, in conjunction with the Service's Senior Management Team.
- Ensuring accountability to the public for the Service's performance.
- ensuring that the Service is managed effectively, with probity and integrity.
Fire Boards work closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and in turn with the Scottish government to ensure that local and national plans and strategies link together.
Audit Scotland
Audit Scotland provides the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission with the services they need to check that public money is spent properly, efficiently and effectively.
The Accounts Commission has a statutory responsibility to specify information that councils must publish about their performance, in the form of statutory performance indicators (SPIs).
In terms of the scrutiny of Scotland's Fire and Rescue Services, Audit Scotland has an important role to play in analysing performance information and regularly reporting on the eight fire and rescue services covering Scotland.
Scottish Government / Scottish Resilience
The Government's Scottish Resilience service provides practical support to the frontline agencies that deliver Fire and Rescue Services and emergency planning and response throughout Scotland.
It aims to help and equip front line agencies, especially the eight Fire and Rescue Services, to prepare for, and (where necessary) respond, to all types of emergencies ranging from house fires to major disasters.
Scottish Resilience is made up of four main sections:
- Civil Contingencies Unit
- Fire and Rescue Services Unit
- Scottish Fire Services College
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Advisory Unit
Scottish Fire and Rescue Advisory Unit
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Advisory Unit (SFRAU) was created in 2008 following publication of Professor Crerar's report into audit and inspection of local authorities in Scotland. The role of the Unit until the appointment of the Head of SFRAU has been to conclude work already programmed and to provide support and advice to both Scottish Government and the Fire and Rescue Services.
The role of SFRAU is to maintain the focus on high quality services to the public, to continue to drive down fires and other emergencies and a consequent reduction in injuries, deaths and losses to public assets.
Other duties include:
- commission of research
- providing technical guidance
- liaison with their counterparts across the UK
- working with Audit Scotland on issues that emerge from their respective engagement with the FRSs